The apprenticeship ceremony was set for half a month later, at the Tian Family residence, which was Beisitian’s request. She was doing this to give the Tian Family face.
Other than General Zhou’s matters, Tian Heming hadn’t been active for a long ti. This ti, he personally took charge, planning to make this apprenticeship ceremony grander at his own ho.
There weren’t many things for Beisitian to worry about, but she needed to prepare a gift for her apprentice, which required so thought.
Combining both her past and present lives, this was her first ti taking on an apprentice. Even though her motive for taking Wei Zhongxun wasn’t entirely pure, and their intentions weren’t very simple, since she accepted him as her apprentice, she had to take full responsibility.
After half a year of interaction, Beisitian felt that Wei Zhongxun was quite decent, at least he took a big risk and played a significant role in the kidnapping incident of Tian Zhi.
Beisitian kept pondering over the gift for their first eting, but couldn’t decide what to give.
The next day, Beisitian got up early; today was the day for her to report to her new job.
Beisitian dressed in a crisp military uniform and went out with Luo Xudong.
The 232 Military District Hospital was outside of the under-construction Third Ring and occupied a large area. Beisitian glanced at the large words "Outpatient Departnt" and entered through a small side iron gate.
The outpatient lobby was large, with five windows at the registration area alone, and three or four each at the paynt and pharmacy sections. Although it was just past six o’clock, many people were already waiting by the windows, ready for them to open and register for their consultations.
Beisitian took the stairs on one side to the seventh floor personnel departnt; she arrived early, and no one in the personnel departnt had started work yet. Thinking that waiting is just waiting, she decided to take a look around instead.
The personnel departnt worked regular hours and would begin at eight o’clock. Beisitian noticed she had more than an hour, so she went downstairs to familiarize herself with the environnt, at least to locate the Traditional Chinese dicine (TCM) departnt.
Beisitian road floor by floor. Since consultations hadn’t started, there were hardly any people, as it was an outpatient building, not an inpatient departnt.
Due to the building’s large width, each floor covered a considerable area. Beisitian walked through each one but couldn’t find where the TCM departnt was.
Standing in the third-floor lobby, Beisitian looked up at the departnt indicators overhead—no TCM departnt on the third floor either.
Could it be in the Internal dicine building?
The second floor was for blood tests and outpatient infusions, so the TCM departnt surely couldn’t be there.
Beisitian knew that TCM’s status within the country was sowhat awkward, so she thought it impossible to have an entire building dedicated to TCM. Thus, she exited the back door of the Surgery building and headed towards the Internal dicine building.
At the entrance, Beisitian was stopped, as two floors of the Internal dicine building were inpatient, and there was no outpatient service. Entering and exiting had specified tis, and employees needed an ID badge.
It was Beisitian’s first day reporting, so she had no ID badge. Standing outside the Internal dicine building, unable to enter, she had to ask the security guard at the entrance where the TCM departnt was.
"Follow this path eastwards; it’s located between the Inpatient and Outpatient buildings, but it’s not easy to find," the security guard said.
Beisitian nodded in thanks, ntally mapping out the route the security guard pointed out, becoming puzzled—she had done so research before coming here and knew the general layout of 232 Division’s buildings, including the public toilets. But she didn’t rember any building at the location the guard ntioned.
Filled with doubt, Beisitian walked over and, at the corner of the Outpatient building, indeed found a building—it was a red brick house with three doors, each labeled TCM Departnt 1 to TCM Departnt 3.
Looking at the TCM departnt like this, Beisitian felt as if a chilling wind had swept past her...
Amidst towering buildings, such a unique departnt seed like a forgotten presence by the world, silently holding its ground in this corner.
Beisitian’s mouth twitched a little. She had ntally prepared herself before coming, knowing TCM’s current societal standing, but she never thought the reality would be worse than she imagined!
Beisitian stepped onto the porch and peered inside through the glass window. Each room wasn’t large, about ten square ters, with a white curtain in the middle, behind which she could see a bed. Against the side wall was another bed; in the middle stood a large wooden table and a chair, with so scattered papers and folders on top—apart from these, only a sink near the door.
All three consultation rooms were the sa structure. Beisitian couldn’t help but turn to look at the seven-story-high Surgery and Internal dicine buildings, then turned back to the low, cramped house in front of her. She had an unspeakable complex feeling in her heart.
Even if there is differential treatnt, isn’t it a bit too obvious?
To outsiders, such things might seem incredible, but internally, it’s normal. Previously, the place for dispensing dicine was in a house outside the building. As demand grew, a renovation had to be done to et the needs of the masses.
The TCM departnt had always been in this house as demand never increased. So even if the departnt leaders made requests, those above wouldn’t consider renovating, to not waste manpower, material, and financial resources. The most crucial point is that although many places expanded, as more patients ca, more examination rooms and inpatient space were needed. There simply wasn’t enough space to spare for a TCM departnt where hardly anyone visited in a day.
Beisitian was not part of the hospital’s internal staff and could only shake her head and sigh with what her senses revealed to her.
"Are you here to see a doctor?"
Beisitian was imrsed in her reflections when a male voice ca from behind her. She turned around to see a middle-aged man in his forties, holding several brown folders and looking at her with curiosity.
This man wore glasses, his skin slightly tanned, with deep lines around his mouth, causing his mouth’s corners to droop, giving an impression of displeasure.
He asked because he didn’t think Beisitian looked like a patient. Yet, based on her attire and deanor, she didn’t seem like soone here early in the morning to clean.
Beisitian politely shook her head, saying, "I’m a new doctor." As she spoke, she glanced back at the three houses behind her. "In the TCM departnt."
The man, hearing this, imdiately showed a surprised expression, then beca happy, his mouth moving from a downward pull to an upward curve.
"I heard the director ntion a new doctor was coming, but I didn’t expect you to be this young. Whatever’s troubling you, why did you choose to study TCM?"
Beisitian: "..." No wonder the TCM departnt is in such a corner; with soone in your role putting down the field, how could it possibly thrive!
This man’s na was Shi Hongxing, already forty-three this year. At forty-five, one could apply for an internal retirent, but in TCM, the older, the more valuable, and generally, they wouldn’t apply for internal retirent at forty-five.
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